AI answering service vs live answering service
Updated October 12, 2026.
An AI answering service answers your calls with an AI voice agent; a live answering service uses human receptionists. Live services publish entry plans from about $99 to $300 a month and bill per minute or per call after that; AI services publish entry plans from about $25 to $100. Keres AI’s Remi is an AI answering service that books the appointment on the call, on one monthly rate with included minutes, then per minute.
How do AI and live answering services compare?
| Option | Who answers | How it bills | Lowest published plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keres AI (Remi) | AI | One monthly rate with included minutes, then per minute; no per-call fees. | Quoted to your call volume; month-to-month. |
| Ruby | Human | Monthly plans with included receptionist minutes. | $250/mo for 50 receptionist minutes. |
| PATLive | Human | Per minute, with monthly plans that include minutes. | $99/mo for 50 minutes ($2.29 per extra minute); pay-as-you-go at $2.99/min. |
| Smith.ai | Hybrid | Per call: plans include a set number of calls, then a per-call rate. | Human receptionists from $300/mo for 30 calls ($11.50 per extra call). AI receptionist has a free tier of 25 calls/mo, then $3 per call. |
| Abby Connect | Hybrid | Monthly plans with included minutes; AI-answered minutes count as half. | $165/mo for 50 minutes of human answering (or 100 of AI). |
| Goodcall | AI | Per unique caller each month; no per-minute charges. | $79/mo for 100 unique callers (79¢ per extra caller). |
| Upfirst | AI | Monthly plans with included calls, then per call. | $24.95/mo for 30 calls ($1.50 per extra call). |
Prices from each vendor’s own pricing page, checked October 11, 2026. More options on best AI receptionists and what an AI receptionist costs.
Per minute, per call or included minutes: which billing model suits you?
- Per call (Smith.ai, Upfirst): predictable per caller; expensive when many short calls come in.
- Per unique caller (Goodcall): repeat callers don’t cost extra.
- Included minutes, then per minute (Keres AI, Dialzara, PATLive): a pool sized to your volume, so a normal month is one known number; a busy season goes past the pool at a published or quoted per-minute rate. Short calls use little of the pool; long intake calls use more.
- Monthly plans with included minutes (Ruby, Abby Connect, Rosie): a set pool each month; their pricing pages do not publish a rate past the plan, so ask before you sign.
Can an AI answering service book appointments?
Some can, some only take messages. Remi checks real availability and books the appointment into Google Calendar, HubSpot or ServiceTitan while the caller is on the line, then texts a confirmation. Jobber, Housecall Pro, Twilio, RingCentral, Outlook, Make, FieldEdge, Service Fusion, Acuity Scheduling and Slack are rolling out and are not live yet.
When is a live answering service the better choice?
Choose people when every caller must reach a human, when calls need judgement a script can’t cover, or when you need agreements Keres does not sign today, such as a BAA. Choose AI when you want every call answered in two rings at any hour, booked on the call, without paying for receptionist minutes on routine calls.
How does Keres AI handle a call?
Remi answers in two rings, 24/7, asks your intake questions, books the appointment, alerts your on-call person by the rules you set, and texts back any call it could not take within 60 seconds. Keres sets it up for you and agrees the timing on your first call. See how Remi works and the after-hours flow.
Questions
AI answering service FAQ
What is an AI answering service?
An AI answering service answers your business calls with an AI voice agent instead of a human operator. A good one asks your intake questions and books the appointment on the call; a basic one only takes a message.
Is an AI answering service cheaper than a live one?
Usually. Live answering services publish entry plans from about $99 to $300 a month for 30 to 50 calls or minutes (as of October 11, 2026), billed per minute or per call after that. AI services publish entry plans from about $25 to $100. Your real cost depends on call volume and length.
When is a live answering service the better choice?
When every caller must reach a person, when calls need judgement a script cannot cover, or when your industry requires agreements Keres does not sign (Keres AI does not sign BAAs today).
Does an AI answering service sound robotic?
Modern voice agents speak naturally and handle interruptions; listen before you decide. Example Remi calls are on /hear-it.
How does Keres AI bill?
One monthly rate with included minutes sized to your volume, then per minute at your quoted rate, with no per-call fees. Month-to-month.
Hear an AI answering service book a call
Book a 30-minute call and test Remi with your own questions.
Get a quoteLast updated · Reviewed by the Keres AI team